NHS pilots new genetic testing service for cancer patients

A new programme to develop genetic testing in patients with cancer will be piloted in London within the next six months.

The Mainstreaming Cancer Genetics programme has been launched with £2.7m (€3.2m; $4.1m) funding from the Wellcome Trust and will use next generation gene sequencing technology to test patients with cancer. The test, called the TruSight cancer targeted microarray panel, costs “a few hundred pounds” per patient and will analyse 97 cancer predisposition genes for mutations.

Currently no test is available for over half these genes, and the microarray panel could also replace testing for mutations in single genes, such as BRCA1. It was a BRCA1 gene mutation …